4th and 5th July 2024 | Lucy Cavendish

The next University of Cambridge Open Days will be taking place on Thursday 4th July and Friday 5th July. We're looking forward to welcoming you to Lucy Cavendish College!

The University of Cambridge’s Open Days are aimed at prospective applicants from Year 12 (S5 - Scotland, Y13 - N.I., or equivalent), together with their parents or supporters, to help them learn more about the University.

As part of the Cambridge Open Days, Lucy Cavendish College will be open from 9:30am-4:30pm, so please do drop by to chat with our admissions team and current students about life at Lucy and the application process! We will have an information stand for you to find out more, and frequent tours of the College campus guided by current students.

Lucy Cavendish College Open Days 2024

Click the drop-down menus below for key details on the events Lucy Cavendish College is running as part of the September Cambridge Open Day 2024.

Who we are

Lucy Cavendish College's purpose has always been to provide opportunities for underrepresented groups to study at Cambridge. We welcome applications from suitably qualified students of all genders and, uniquely among Cambridge Colleges, we aim to admit a majority of our students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds.

Learn more about our History See the subjects you can study Meet our Alumnae

We admit around 135 undergraduate students every year. Our modern, informal campus is a short stroll from the centre of Cambridge, within easy reach of all University departments and facilities.

Our community is truly global, with students from over 60 countries represented across the College. We pride ourselves in having the most socioeconomically diverse student community in Cambridge and we are uniquely committed to widening participation at Cambridge. We are a College that feels a bit different from the rest - come and find out more!

Our president, Madeleine Atkins, welcomes you to our Open Day Webpage, and explains how Lucy Cavendish College stands out from all other Colleges in Cambridge.

What we stand for

Widening participation is at the heart of everything we do. We have the highest proportion of students from state schools of any Cambridge College, admitting over 90% of our UK students from state schools.

You will find many opportunities to meet, mix and share ideas from every background. The shared goals of tackling 21st Century challenges and having a positive impact on society – through your academic work and beyond – draws our community together across all the courses and research programmes.

Combining the best of Cambridge’s historic traditions and world-leading education with an environment and a community that reflects modern society, we are a College that is proud to be different. We are a driving force for change - come and join our inclusive, forwarding-thinking College

Student Life at Lucy

Moving somewhere new can be daunting, but Lucy is an informal college with a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and you’ll feel at home here very quickly.

"Lucy’s diverse community is unique; it was immediately clear that everyone genuinely wanted you to thrive - personally and academically. I couldn’t imagine a friendlier, more supportive, or better place to study and live. Lucy has undoubtedly made Cambridge home." - Sophia

Hear from current students Jinheum, Natalie and Eva about what it is like to live and study at Lucy.

Clubs and Societies

We encourage you to join some of the clubs and societies because we believe that having a healthy life balance makes you more successful as a student and brings you friendships and contacts you wouldn’t otherwise have had. If you can’t find the club you want, the Students’ Union in College can help you set it up yourself!

We have a wide variety of sports societies that you can get involved with, whether you’re a seasoned professional or a complete beginner. There’s everything from football and rowing to climbing and croquet! Whether you want to explore your course further or experience a brand-new one, a number of subject-specific societies, such as Law and Medicine, host social events, talks, and panel discussions. There are also plenty of other societies, including the Climate Society, the Feminist Society, and the Art Society. Whatever your interests, you’ll find people who share them!

Find out which clubs and societies you can join

Student Union

The Lucy Cavendish Student Union plays an important role in helping students make the most of their time in college. They provide a range of social activities and student services, and are key players in shaping the way the College is run. The SU is divided between the JCR and MCR, with the JCR representing the Undergraduate student body.

Explore the Lucy Cavendish JCR Instagram

Get a glimpse into a day in the life of a Lucy student from Signe, a second-year student studying Psychological and Behavioural Sciences

How we support you

Lucy Cavendish College will be your home while you’re studying at Cambridge and during your time with us we will support you every step of the way. Studying at Cambridge can be challenging: the terms are short and fast-paced and the academic standards are high. So we support students throughout their time in the College in lots of different ways.

“The community at Lucy is one of the most diverse, inclusive and friendly. I was supported in my academic work and also personally; everyone wants you to succeed and get the most out of Cambridge. I’ve made friends for life at Lucy!” - Catherine

Meet our staff and hear from them about our welcoming, inclusive and supportive community.

Bridging Course

All our new students benefit from the very best academic and pastoral support right from the start of their degrees. Our fully subsidised Bridging Course allows incoming students to get to grips with life and study at Cambridge just before the start of term. Students meet their new tutors, Directors of Studies and supervisors and hone their academic skills by producing a piece of work for a mini-supervision (in-college small group teaching sessions).

We also want students to begin to feel at home at Lucy and in Cambridge, so there is also an emphasis on meeting new friends, exploring the city and getting used to life in College.

Find out all about our Bridging Course

Careers Support

We understand that it is not only getting a great degree that is important, but what life holds after University too. Our bespoke careers initiative "Optimise your future" is run in close collaboration with the excellent University Careers Service (whose Director is one of our Fellows!), and offers students the chance to explore their future after graduation. The initiative includes access to a Careers Adviser in College, opportunities to engage with our alumni and joint careers events with other Colleges.

Find out about our bespoke careers programme

Academic skills

We want you to get the most out of your academic studies and ultimately the best results you can on your chosen Tripos or Masters course. So we run a special programme, open to all our undergraduate and graduate students, which focuses on the skills, techniques, and approaches you need to perform really well academically. The sessions vary each term as they follow round the pattern of the academic year.

Find out mora about our Academic Skills programme

Directors of Studies

During your time at Lucy Cavendish, you will be challenged academically. Your Director of Studies (DoS in Cambridge-speak) will be on hand to support you during your time here and to help you realise your full academic potential. Our Director of Studies are world-class academics in their own fields who will act as your personal guide through our broad and flexible degree courses.

Meet our Directors of Studies

The College Campus

Our modern, informal campus is a short stroll from the centre of Cambridge, within easy reach of all University departments and facilities. The College main site includes a gym, bar, café, social spaces and study areas, music practice facilities and dining hall. The library is open 24/7 and our brand new student accommodation offers the very best living experience in a cutting-edge, eco-friendly development. There are numerous opportunities to pursue your own interests, including a lively sporting scene and many clubs, societies and teams.

We look forward to welcoming prospective applicants to our beautiful campus on the 4th and 5th of July!

Accommodation

We offer a wide range of accommodation, from characterful Victorian houses through to modern apartments. All accommodation is ideally situated for easy access to the College, the University departments and the historic city centre of Cambridge.

Lucy Cavendish College aims to accommodate all its undergraduate students for at least the first 3 years of their studies.

Explore our accommodation

Learn more about life in student accommodation at Lucy from Abiola, a first-year student studying Human, Social and Political Sciences.

College Facilities and our New Building

Our facilities include a gym, dining hall, bar, café, library, a music pavilion, informal social spaces and beautiful gardens.

As of 2022, Lucy Cavendish has a brand new building to house our growing student community. The cutting-edge, eco-friendly building provides 72 modern, fully accessible en-suite study-bedrooms (all with views of our beautiful grounds) as well as informal learning spaces and a large café/bar.

We are so looking forward to opening these brand-new facilities to our new student community. Take a look at the gallery below to see what the building will look like.

Explore our facilities

Gallery

Find out more

As the most diverse College in Cambridge, Lucy Cavendish College is dedicated to supporting students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds to apply to Cambridge and to achieve their full potential. Our exciting and extensive outreach programme aims to provide prospective applicants and their teachers/advisors with transparent and comprehensive information and advice about applying to Cambridge, and to raise attainment among high-achieving students from backgrounds that are disadvantaged or underrepresented at Cambridge.

See our Visits and Open Days page Sign-up to our prospective applicant mailing list

Prospective applicants

Find advice and support resources designed to help you make a strong application to competitive universities like Cambridge.

Take a look here